Formerly Homeless Local Man Runs Marathon for Charity

For the 5^th year in a row, Chris Geogan, owner of Main Street Fitness in Warren, will  join fellow long distance runners on May 1 for the Cox Sports Marathon in downtown Providence. As with year’s past, Geogan’s run will raise money for Crossroads Rhode Island, which provides services to the homeless.

With his rock solid physique and focused determination, it’s easy to imagine Geogan crossing the finish line of a marathon. It’s a lot harder to imagine him living on the streets, though that’s exactly where he was ten years ago.

In 2001 Geagon violated a restraining order by showing up drunk at his girlfriend’s house and was thrown in jail. Losing his girlfriend was just the latest loss in a long string of squandered opportunities. The job as an Emergency Room Technician? Gone. The Masters program? Gone. His work as a personal trainer? Gone. Friends? Gone. Family? Also, gone. His mother, father and brother had all died of alcoholism-related illnesses.

When Geagon was released from jail a few weeks later he had vowed to change his life.

“When I got out it was August,” he remembers. “I walked over Washington Bridge. I had $200 in the bank, but no job, no friends, no family. All I had was a car.”

That car became Geagon’s home for the better part of a month while he received treatment at Butler Hospital and began attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

“It just seemed so overwhelming that I had to start over,” Geogan says. “But I just wanted to live. I wanted to be normal.”

By taking it one day at a time, as they say in AA, Geogan slowly pieced his life back together. It even became “effortless” he says. This July will mark his ten-year anniversary of being sober. He is now a happily married father and businessman.

“I just look at it all and say, ‘Wow, I’m a survivor,’” he says.

In the past four years Geogan's efforts have raised over $10,000 for Crossroads Rhode Island. According to a recent report they published, women are the fastest growing homeless population. For that reason Geogan has decided to designate the money he raises this year to Crossroad’s Women’s Shelter.

Geoghan’s ambition doesn’t end there. He’s organizing the 1^st Annual Main Street Fitness 5K Run/Walk for the Homeless at Colt State Park on September 11^th.

For people interested in donating to Geogan’s fundraising efforts for the homeless, visit the Crossroads Rhode Island website, click the ‘Donate Now’ button under the ‘How to Help’ heading and make a gift in honor of Chris Geogan.